¿Cómo nos puede ayudar la perspectiva constructivista a construir conocimiento en educación ambiental?

En el ámbito de la educación ambiental nos encontramos con una enorme confusión respecto a los modelos educativos que orientan los procesos de aprendizaje. Frente a los modelos predominantes en la práctica de la educación ambiental, de corte asociacionista, proponemos la perspectiva constructivista como un marco teórico alternativo de referencia a los mismos. En concreto, hemos aplicado categorías de análisis coherentes con tal perspectiva al estudio de los procesos de construcción de contenidos relativos a la contaminación y al uso del agua con una clase de alumnos comprendidos entre los 15 y los 16 años. En el presente trabajo se describen los resultados obtenidos en relación con dos dificultades de aprendizaje: el conocimiento conceptual sobre la problemática del agua, y sus expectativas y actitudes sobre la investigación del medio. De dichos resultados se infieren dos conclusiones. En primer lugar, que no basta con una metodología "activa", sino que hay que trabajar con mucha dedicación acerca del protagonismo de los participantes, para que éstos le brinden sentido a lo que hacen. En segundo lugar, hay que revisar la idea de que el alumno "descubre" las "verdades", concepción que supone la existencia de una verdad dada de antemano, la "verdad" del educador, o la "verdad" oculta en las cosas

A New Perspective on Huntington's Disease: How a Neurological Disorder Influences the Peripheral Tissues

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by a toxic, aggregationprone expansion of CAG repeats in the HTT gene with an age-dependent progression that leads to behavioral, cognitive and motor symptoms. Principally affecting the frontal cortex and the striatum, mHTT disrupts many cellular functions. In fact, increasing evidence shows that peripheral tissues are affected by neurodegenerative diseases. It establishes an active crosstalk between peripheral tissues and the brain in different neurodegenerative diseases. This review focuses on the current knowledge of peripheral tissue effects in HD animal and cell experimental models and identifies biomarkers and mechanisms involved or affected in the progression of the disease as new therapeutic or early diagnostic options. The particular changes in serum/plasma, blood cells such as lymphocytes, immune blood cells, the pancreas, the heart, the retina, the liver, the kidney and pericytes as a part of the blood–brain barrier are described. It is important to note that several changes in different mouse models of HD present differences between them and between the different ages analyzed. The understanding of the impact of peripheral organ inflammation in HD may open new avenues for the development of novel therapeutic targets

On providing mobility management in WOBANs: Integration with PMIPv6 and MIH

The Wireless-Optical Broadband Access Network (WOBAN) is a promising access architecture that combines the high performance of optical networks with the ubiquity and convenience of wireless technologies. This article proposes a network-based mobility framework that is specially tailored for WOBANs. The proposed architecture is based on Proxy Mobile IPv6 and IEEE 802.21 mobility management protocols, but it also defines a number of optimizations that enable the seamless handover of mobile nodes. In particular, the hierarchical architecture together with the broadcast-and-select nature of the optical part of the WOBAN are leveraged to: optimize the mobility of users with respect to the overall network resources, both at the wireless access and optical distribution parts, remove the overhead of IP-in-IP tunneling between the PMIPv6 entities, and perform an efficient bicasting during the handover process to minimize packet loss.The authors would like to acknowledge the support of the EU-funded MEDIEVAL (grant FP7-ICT-2009-5/258053), the CAM-funded Medianet project (under code S-2009/TIC-1468) and the MICINN research grant TIN2010-20136-C03.European Community's Seventh Framework ProgramPublicad

Evaluación de la reforma de la atención primaria de salud: prácticas preventivas y desigualdades

ObjetivoEvaluar la reforma de la atención primaria (RAP) en Barcelona durante el año 2000 mediante 3 prácticas preventivas: el consejo antitabaco, la toma de la presión arterial y la vacunación antigripal. Además, se quiere evaluar las desigualdades de sexo, edad o clase social en la recepción de estas prácticas.DiseñoEstudio observacional, descriptivo, transversal.EmplazamientoEncuesta de Salud de Barcelona del año 2000, atención primaria de salud.ParticipantesPersonas mayores de 15 años no institucionalizadas residentes en la ciudad de Barcelona el año 2000 (n = 10.000 personas).Mediciones principalesLos indicadores utilizados fueron las prevalencias de recepción de las 3 prácticas preventivas. Se realizaron análisis descriptivos y de regression logística multivariante.ResultadosLa recepción de las practices preventivas estudiadas es mayor en las areas con mayor tiempo de instauración de la RAP respecto a los centros no reformados (el 63,7 frente al 53,2%, respectivamente). El consejo antitabaco, en el caso de las mujeres, es menos frecuente en las clases sociales más desfavorecidas (odds ratio [OR] = 0,72; intervalo de confianza [IC] del 95 %,0,55-1).ConclusionesLa RAP es un factor asociado con la realización de las practices preventivas. No se han encontrado desigualdades significativas de clase social o sexo en la recepción de las 3 prácticas preventivas.ObjectiveTo evaluate primary care reform (PCR) in Barcelona during the year 2000 using 3 preventive practices: anti-smoking advice, blood pressure measurement, and flu vaccination. Any inequalities of gender, age, or social class in receiving these practices are also assessed.DesignCross-sectional, descriptive, observational study.SettingBarcelona Health Survey, primary health care, Spain, year 2000.ParticipantsNon-institutionalised residents of the city of Barcelona over 15 years old in the year 2000 (N=10 000 people).Main measurementsThe indicators used were the prevalences of receiving the 3 practices. Descriptive and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed.ResultsReceiving the preventive practices studied is greater in areas where PCR was established longer, compared to the centres that had not begun the reforms (63.7% as opposed to 53.2%, respectively).Anti-smoking advice, for women, is less frequent in the more disadvantaged classes (odds ratio [OR] = 0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.55-1).ConclusionsPCR is a factor associated with carrying out preventive practices. No significant disparities between social class or gender were found for those who received the preventive practices

La metodología ABP aplicada a la especialidad de informática en el Máster Secundaria

Este trabajo tiene por objetivo describir cómo un grupo de docentes, cada uno profesor de una asignatura en los estudios del máster en profesorado de Educación Secundaria en la especialidad de informática, nos decidimos a implementar el Aprendizaje Basado en Problemas conjuntamente. La experiencia se desarrolló en los cursos 2010-2011 y 2011-2012. Hay involucradas tres asignaturas de seis créditos: Aplicaciones informáticas a problemas de la vida cotidiana, Aprender a enseñar informática y Herramientas prácticas para el desarrollo del currículo de informática. Como resultado hemos definido un marco práctico de referencia para la aplicación de esta metodología que ha sido evaluado positivamente tanto por los docentes como por los alumnos, siendo el principal problema la falta de un número mayor de alumnos en años posteriores para hacer más exitosa la experiencia.This paper describes how a group of teachers, each one assigned as responsible of a different subject in the master of teachers for the specialty of computer science, decided jointly to implement problem-based learning. The experience was implemented in the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 seasons. There are three subjects involved each one has six credits: Computer applications applied to problems of everyday life, Learn to teach computer science, and Practical tools for the development of computer curricula. As a result, we have defined a practical framework for the implementation of the method that has been positively assessed by both the teachers and the students. The main problem had been the lack of students in the following years to establish and formalize our experience

Microwave-assisted functionalization of carbon nanohorns with oligothiophene units with SERS activity

[EN] Carbon nanohorns have been functionalized with oligothiophene unitsviathe 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction under microwave irradiation and solvent-free conditions. A dramatic Raman enhancement was found for one of the synthesized derivatives. Experimental andin silicostudies helped to understand the enhancement, attributed to the modification of electromagnetic fields upon functionalization at the tip of the nanostructures.This work was supported by the Iberdrola Foundation (CONV120313), the Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (CTQ2017-88158-R), the Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (SBPLY/17/180501/000204) and FEDER-JCCM (UNCM13-1E-1663). The work at the University of Malaga was funded by the MICINN (PID2019-110305GB-I00) and Junta de Andalucia (P09FQM-4708) projects. M. I. L. acknowledges MINECO for her Juan de la Cierva-formacion grant (FJCI-2016-29593). The authors acknowledge the computer resources, technical expertise, and assistance provided by the Supercomputing and Bioinformatics centre of the University of Malaga.Iglesias, D.; Guerra, J.; Lucío, MI.; González-Cano, RC.; Lopez Navarrete, JT.; Ruiz Delgado, MC.; Vázquez, E.... (2020). Microwave-assisted functionalization of carbon nanohorns with oligothiophene units with SERS activity. Chemical Communications. 56(63):8948-8951. https://doi.org/10.1039/D0CC03496G89488951566

Propuestas y análisis de buenas prácticas de coaching educativo y emprendimiento en el aula

Esta tesis doctoral nace con el propósito de ampliar conocimiento científico mediante la descripción de buenas prácticas de coaching educativo y emprendimiento. Estas buenas prácticas se han llevado a cabo en distintas etapas educativas de diferentes centros educativos de la geografía española. Así, desde una perspectiva científica de corte cualitativo, concretamente desde un diseño descriptivo, se pretende dar respuesta a las siguientes preguntas: ¿Se aplica actualmente el coaching en el aula? ¿Se llevan a cabo iniciativas emprendedoras en las distintas etapas educativas? ¿De qué manera se desarrollan? ¿Cómo lo vive el alumnado? ¿Y el profesorado? Para recoger la información pertinente se han utilizado entrevistas semiestructuradas y grupos de discusión. El análisis de los datos se ha llevado a cabo mediante la organización de los mismos en unidades de análisis, códigos y categorías para comprender el objeto de estudio y poder relacionarlo con la teoría. A continuación, para considerar las actuaciones seleccionadas como buenas prácticas, ha sido ineludible que éstas hayan cumplido los nueve criterios que seleccionamos previamente de la revisión del marco teórico. En el proceso de descripción de las mismas podemos observar los pasos detallados de cómo se desarrollaron en el aula, pero también, la vivencia del profesorado y el alumnado desde el sentido de realidad de su propia idiosincrasia.Palabras clave: buenas prácticas, coaching, educación, educación socioemocional, emprendimiento y PNL. Abstract: This doctoral thesis was born with the purpose of expanding scientific knowledge through the description of good practices of educational coaching and entrepreneurship. These good practices have been carried out in different educational stages of different educational centers of the Spanish geography. Thus, from a qualitative scientific perspective, specifically from a descriptive design, it is intended to answer the following questions: Is coaching currently applied in the classroom? Are entrepreneurial initiatives carried out in the different stages of education? In what way do they develop? How does the student experience it? And the teaching staff? We have used semi-structured interviews and discussion groups to collect the relevant information. The analysis of the data has been carried out by organizing them in units of analysis, codes and categories to understand the object of study and relate it to the theory. Then, to consider the selected actions as good practices, it has been essential that they have met the nine criteria that we previously selected from the review of the theoretical framework. In the process of describing them not only we can observe the detailed steps of how they developed in the classroom, but also, the experience of teachers and students from the sense of reality of their own idiosyncrasies. Keywords: coaching, education, socioemotional education, entrepreneurship, good practices and PNL. <br /

Association between Timing of Colonization and Risk of Developing Klebsiella pneumoniae Carbapenemase-Producing K. pneumoniae Infection in Hospitalized Patients

Colonization by KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (KPC-Kp) is associ ated with the risk of developing KPC-Kp infection. The impact of the time elapsed since a patient becomes colonized on this risk is not well known. An observational, prospec tive, longitudinal cohort study of colonized patients undergoing active rectal culture screening to rule out KPC-Kp colonization (July 2012 to November 2017). Patients with a positive culture at inclusion (colonized at start of follow-up) and those with a negative culture at inclusion who became colonized within 90 days (colonized during follow-up) were included in the analysis. CART analysis was used to dichotomize variables accord ing to their association with infection. Kaplan–Meier infection-free survival curves and the log-rank test were used for group comparisons. Logistic regression was used to identify variables associated with KPC-Kp infection. Among 1310 patients included, 166 were colonized at the end of follow-up. Forty-seven out of 118 patients colonized at start of follow-up developed infection (39.8%) versus 31 out of 48 patients colonized during follow-up (64.6%; P = 0.006). Variables associated with KPC-Kp infection in the logistic regression analysis were: colonization detection during follow-up (OR, 2.74; 95% CI, 1.07 to 7.04; P = 0.03), Giannella risk score (OR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.32 to 1.73; P , 0.001), high-risk ward (OR, 4.77; 95% CI, 1.61 to 14.10; P = 0.005) and urological manipu lation after admission (OR, 3.69; 95% CI, 1.08 to 12.60; P = 0.04). In 25 out of 31 patients (80.6%) colonized during follow-up who developed KPC-Kp infection, infection appeared within 15 days after colonization. The risk of KPC-Kp infection was higher when coloni zation is recently acquired during hospitalization. In this prospective study, we con cluded that the timing of colonization was a factor to assess when considering empiri cal treatment for suspected KPC-Kp infection and prophylaxis or infection control

Effects of histamine H 3 receptor ligands in experimental models of anxiety and depression

Abstract Histamine H 3 receptor ligands have been proposed to be of potential therapeutic interest for the treatment of different central nervous system disorders; however, the psychopharmacological properties of these drugs have not been studied extensively. In this work, we investigated the possible involvement of histamine H 3 receptor function in experimental models of anxiety (elevated plus-maze) and depression (forced swimming test). Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated IP with the histamine H 3 receptor agonist R--methylhistamine (10 mg / kg) or the histamine H 3 receptor antagonist thioperamide (0.2, 2 and 10 mg /kg) and 30 min afterwards the time spent in the open arms of an elevated plus-maze was registered for 5 min. The immobility time of male OF1 mice in the forced swimming test was recorded for 6 min, 1 h after the IP administration of R--methylhistamine (10 and 20 mg / kg), thioperamide (0.2, 2, 10 and 20 mg / kg) or another histamine H 3 receptor antagonist, clobenpropit (5 mg / kg). The locomotor activity of mice was checked in parallel by means of an activity meter. Both saline controls and active drug controls were used in all the paradigms. Neither thioperamide nor R--methylhistamine significantly changed animal behaviour in the elevated plus-maze. R--methylhistamine and the higher dose of thioperamide assayed (20 mg / kg) were also inactive in the forced swimming test. By contrast, thioperamide (0.2-10 mg / kg) dose-dependently decreased immobility, the effect being significant at 10 mg /kg (33 % reduction of immobility); clobenpropit produced an effect qualitatively similar (24 % reduction of immobility). None of these histamine H 3 receptor antagonists affected locomotor activity. These preliminary results suggest that the histamine H 3 receptor blockade could be devoid of anxiolytic potential but have antidepressant effects. Besides, the stimulation of these receptors does not seem to be followed by changes in the behavioural parameters studied